Netanyahu cancels war cabinet meeting due to discuss plans for Gaza after war – as it happened | Israel-Gaza war

This blog is now closing and a new one will open later today, but for all of our latest updates – see our full coverage of the Israel-Gaza war, and a summary of the key events so far.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has released its daily report on the war.

Here is what the report had to say on internally displaced people:

Preliminary estimates by humanitarian actors on the ground indicate that at least 100,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) have arrived in Rafah over the past days, following the intensification of hostilities in Khan Younis and Deir al Balah, and the Israeli army’s evacuation orders. Already on 20 December, Rafah was estimated to be the most densely populated area in Gaza, exceeding 12,000 people per square kilometre. The new influx of IDPs has further exacerbated conditions related to the already overcrowded space and limited resources.

And this on aid:

Supplies of medical aid and food have continued to entered Gaza in the past days through Rafah crossing with Egypt. This included 110 trucks on 27 December and another 76 trucks on 28 December. These quantities remain well below the daily average of 500 truckloads (including fuel and private sector goods) that entered every working day prior to 7 October. Key impediments remain on carrying out humanitarian operations inside Gaza. As noted by the Secretary-General, “an effective aid operation in Gaza requires security; staff who can work in safety; logistical capacity; and the resumption of commercial activity. These four elements do not exist.”

Let’s find out more about Judith Weinstein – An American, Canadian and Israeli woman who was thought to have been held hostage in Gaza.

Weinstein and her husband, Gad Haggai, had been thought to be among the hostages still held in captivity.

Six days ago, the Israeli kibbutz that they lived in, Nir Oz, announced that Haggai was killed on 7 October and his body was taken to Gaza.

On Thursday, the kibbutz said it had learned that Weinstein was also killed on the same day and her body is also being held in Gaza, Associated Press reports.

It was not immediately clear how Israeli authorities determined their deaths.

US president Joe Biden said he was “devastated” to learn of Weinstein’s death, especially after hearing about the couple during a meeting with their daughter.

The families “have been living through hell for weeks. No family should have to endure such an ordeal,” he said in a statement.

It’s understood that Weinstein, 70, and Haggai, 73, were taking an early morning walk near their home in kibbutz Nir Oz on the morning of the attack.

Weinstein was born in New York and was an active member of the kibbutz, a small community near the Gaza border, where she taught English to children with special needs. The kibbutz said she also taught meditation techniques to children and teenagers who suffered from anxiety as a result of rocket fire from Gaza. Haggai was a retired chef and jazz musician.

“Judy dedicated her life to serving others, spending years teaching English and using her passions for poetry, puppeteering, and mindfulness to empower children of all backgrounds,” her family said in a statement.

Nir Oz was one of the hardest-hit Israeli communities on 7 October with roughly one quarter of its residents killed or kidnapped.

The Palestinian Freedom Theatre in the occupied West Bank will welcome actors back this weekend, just over a fortnight after an Israeli raid on the centre, Agence France Presse reports.

Its artistic director Ahmed Tobasi told AFP the theatre in Jenin refugee camp had become a symbol of Palestinian resistance against Israel’s occupation of the West Bank.

He said troops broke into and vandalised the small cultural centre earlier this month during a wider raid on Jenin, leaving behind a trail of damage and Stars of David graffitied across the walls. The theatre said soldiers also arrested several employees in their homes.

Tobasi, who said he was among those detained, is now back at work and determined to keep the centre open.

“For me, this is resistance,” the 39-year-old said as he gave AFP a tour of the theatre, which was set up in 2006.

Soon after the raid on 13 December a Freedom Theatre appeal for the release of its staff won international support, with demonstrations in the streets of New York and Paris and playwrights, actors and directors from Britain to Mexico expressing their support.

The Israeli army described the wider raid on Jenin, which Palestinian health authorities say killed 11 people, as designed to combat “terrorists” in the camp.

Staff spent several days clearing up and plan to stage their first big event, an end-of-year workshop for young actors, on Sunday.

The army has not responded to AFP’s request for comment.

Reged Ahmad here picking up the blog from Leonie Chao-Fong.

Italy has objected to Israel’s intention to nominate the mayor of one of the main West Bank settlements as ambassador to Rome, Agence France-Presse is reporting – citing a diplomatic source.

In July, the Israel’s foreign ministry put forward the name of Benny Kashriel, mayor of Ma’ale Adumim, near Jerusalem, to succeed Alon Bar, a career diplomat due to retire in the summer of 2024.

Kashriel, 72, has been mayor of the urban settlement of nearly 40,000 inhabitants since 1992, and heads a local branch of the right-wing Likud party of prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Israel has not yet submitted an official request to Rome for accreditation.

But a diplomatic source told AFP on Thursday, confirming press reports, that Italian authorities had sent a number of messages indicating that they considered the appointment inappropriate. Contacted by AFP, Israel’s foreign ministry declined to comment.

Italy’s right-wing coalition government led by Giorgia Meloni supports Israel in its war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

But Rome also considers that the settlements established in the Palestinian territories occupied by Israel since 1967 – and deemed illegal by the United Nations – are an obstacle to peace.

Summary of the day so far

Israeli airstrikes hit near the Syrian capital, Damascus, and in the country’s south, Syria’s defence ministry and state media has said.

A statement from the Syrian defence ministry reads:

At approximately 23:05 (20:05 GMT) today, the Israeli enemy carried out air strikes from the direction of the occupied Syrian Golan, targeting some points in the southern region.

The strikes are believed to have targeted a Syrian army air defence base and a radar station in the Tel al-Sahn area in the Sweida province in south-western Syria, according to sources, Reuters reported.

Hamas delegation to visit Cairo to discuss Egypt’s ceasefire proposal – report

Benjamin Netanyahu has cancelled a war cabinet meeting that was scheduled for tonight to discuss Israel’s plan for Gaza after the war with Hamas ends.

The Israeli prime minister has reportedly refused requests from security officials to make plans for control of Gaza after the war with Hamas ends.

Netanyahu’s decision to cancel tonight’s meeting, the Times of Israel reported, has been “influenced by his far-right coalition partners” who have rejected any discussion about the role of the Palestinian Authority (PA) in a postwar Gaza governance. The report continues:

This leaves few if any other options, but Netanyahu has appeared committed to keeping his coalition intact and has accordingly sought to delay ‘day-after’ discussions for nearly three months.

The outlet reported that Netanyahu has agreed to discuss the matter at a meeting of the larger security cabinet on Tuesday.

The US defense secretary, Lloyd Austin, has spoken with Israel’s defence minister, Yoav Gallant, today to discuss Gaza.

The pair spoke about Israel’s military campaign in the territory and preparations for the stabilisation phase that will follow major combat operations, Associated Press reported that Pentagon press secretary, Pat Ryder, said.

Austin reiterated the US’s resolve to ensure that Hamas can no longer threaten Israel’s security and he also underscored “the importance of protecting Gaza’s civilians and accelerating humanitarian assistance”, he said.

Austin and Gallant also discussed other threats to regional security, including Hezbollah’s activities in southern Lebanon, Houthi attacks against ships in the Red Sea, and Iranian-backed militia attacks against US forces in Iraq and Syria, Ryder added.